


Thawing Out

by ScientistSalarian



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Action & Romance, Bad Jokes, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-11-22 02:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11370450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScientistSalarian/pseuds/ScientistSalarian
Summary: Evfra and Sara are on a mission together on Voeld and things go awry, leading them to have some much needed alone time. This is a treat for Sumi for SpecRecs 2017 who requested some shameless blanket sharing and having these two have to work together





	Thawing Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sumi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/gifts).



“Hey Evfra, did you know that ‘Voeld’ rhymes with ‘cold’ in my language?” Sara Ryder declared as they trudged through the snow. Evfra stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with utter confusion.

“And why is this relevant now?” he asked coldly.

“Well, we’re on Voeld, and it’s really damn cold. Also it was really quiet and I felt like I had to say something to break the ice. Get it? Break the ice? We’re on an ice planet?” Sara knew immediately that her comedy act was falling on deaf ears. Evfra shook his head and kept walking. 

“This is the one they put in charge. This is the one that took down the Archon…” He muttered the words with disbelief. The same person who led the attack on the Archon himself, was now apparently practicing a subpar standup routine at his expense. 

“Don’t believe what you heard about me being some sort of fierce warrior, Evfra. Honestly, I literally just talked the Archon to death.” Sara couldn’t help but try to get a rise out of him. He was always so cold and calculated, but her latest quip finally got the desired response. He turned to her once again and the barest hint of a smile inched across his face. He did appreciate that she was able to crack jokes at her own expense.

“I can’t think of a more cruel way to go.” he shot back. Deep down he was finding it difficult to hide his amusement though. Their work throughout the day had been grueling and they’d barely had time for any rest. Their mission was to take down the last of the kett strongholds that were still active on Voeld. They did their best to use the Nomad as little as possible so as to not alert the enemy camps that they were en route. The plan was to take down each base before the kett knew what hit them so they couldn’t call for reinforcements or have time to destroy any data. The Angaran resistance was still interested in acquiring any intelligence they could from the remaining kett bases. Evfra personally chose to bring Ryder along because deep down he’d always been curious if she was truly a gifted fighter or if she’d found success through pure luck. So far, she had impressed him considerably.

Sara looked at Evfra and pointed to a structure at the bottom of the ravine. There were crates of ammo and a couple small buildings with about seven kett milling around. Evfra nodded in acknowledgement. They surveyed the site from atop the cliff and worked on formulating a plan. Sara saw her opening and told him to follow her. She motioned for him to flank the first building from the left side while making it apparent that she planned on using her jump jets to take down her target from up on the roof. Evfra found her plan risky, but so far her intuition hadn’t steered them wrong. This was the third site they’d hit that day and he was beginning to respect her strategic mind. He made his way around to the side of the building. Sara descended from atop the cliff and hit two kett Ascendants with a biotic blast that threw them across the compound. 

So much for stealth, Evfra thought to himself. He used the butt of his shotgun to break the window and began shooting into the building at the startled kett. Sara stunned an Anointed and finished it off with a couple quick bursts from her assault rifle. She scurried back to the building where Evfra had laid waste to everything inside. The kett in the second building began to scramble and lobbed a grenade into the broken window of the first building. Evfra grabbed Sara by the arm retreated out of the building and behind a munitions crate. The blast from the grenade rattled the walls of the small structure and Sara thanked Evfra for getting her out of there so quickly. Another grenade was tossed from the second building, but this time it missed its target entirely and landed against the side of the ravine. 

This wasn’t Evfra’s first fight on Voeld and he knew that they needed to move quickly. “Run!” Evfra cried out as he grabbed her arm once again. They did their best to make haste before the grenade went off but the ground was slippery and it was difficult to gain any speed without sliding. The blast rang out across the canyon and it triggered an ominous rumbling. Evfra’s instinct was correct, they were about to be hit with an avalanche. The snow began to fall off the sides of the ravine and into the valley in huge chunks. It crashed to the ground with a thunderous roar. The last of the kett survivors panicked as their base was slowly engulfed by snow. 

Evfra and Sara ran as fast as they could but the snow swiftly overtook them. Evfra wrapped his arms around Sara and they huddled together and braced for the inevitable impact of the rumbling mass of snow. The force of the frozen tide threw them both off balance and they clutched each other tightly. Evfra shielded Sara’s body with his own as another wave of snow crashed around them. When the avalanche finally ceased, Evfra and Sara were buried up to their necks. Sara gasped trying to catch her breath as the entire ordeal had knocked the wind out of her. Evfra glanced around trying to get his bearings but saw nothing but a sea of white. He heard his life support giving him a warning in his helmet and he found the cold was beginning to leak into his armor. He took a breath and icy air filled his lungs. He knew he would quickly succumb to hypothermia if he didn’t find somewhere warm and fast.

Sara was receiving similar warnings from SAM about the temperature readings and that her life support was near depletion. “Evfra, we need to get somewhere safe. Now.” There was no hint of Sara’s usual joking demeanor now. She was all business as she scanned the horizon for somewhere they could hide out and assess the damage they’d taken.

“Over there,” Evfra freed an arm from the snow and pointed. The roof of one of the buildings in the kett compound was just barely visible. Evfra hoped there were still usable supplies inside that hadn’t been too damaged by the avalanche. Carefully, Evfra and Sara began to dig themselves out enough to be able to maneuver. 

“What if there’s still kett in that building?” Sara wasn’t thrilled about the thought of engaging in a gunfight with their life support systems in their current state. 

“If there’s kett, we kill them.” Evfra scoffed. “Now use your jump-jets and let’s get going.” His voice was gruff and authoritative but Sara didn’t care. She knew they were living on borrowed time if they didn’t make it inside somewhere and the remnants of the kett base looked to be the only option they had. Together, Evfra and Sara made their way to the building but it was a slow and cautious trek. Evfra looked around cautiously assessing if there were any kett left hiding amidst the snow banks. Sara began to dig through the snow until she saw a window that looked big enough for them to crawl through. Using a biotic charge she shattered the window and leapt into the building without a second thought.

Evfra followed suit but not without complaint. “Are you insane? You had no idea if there was anyone left in here and if there were, how many!. You could have led us right into an ambush.” 

“Well, lucky for us I didn’t,” she quipped and Evfra shot her a look. Even through his helmet she could see that look of disdain that seemed permanently etched across his face. Evfra didn’t answer, he just kept his gun drawn and went from room to room to investigate. Once they were sure they were alone, Sara began to toy with a generator she found stashed in a corner that looked like it powered a small heater. With a click and a whirr, Sara was able to get the generator running and heat began to fill the small room they were holed up in. Sara immediately sighed, relieved to feel what little heat she could. 

She could hear Evfra’s breathing becoming labored as he checked each room for anything that might be useful. Sara was concerned that he may have been injured during the fight and was doing his best to remain stoic. Evfra brought over a tarp and dropped it on the ground next to Sara. “Between this and the heater we should be able to warm up.” Sara closed the door to the room to shut out as much of the outside air as possible. She noticed Evfra’s voice wasn’t as strong as it usually was but she didn’t let on that she was concerned. Evfra knelt down next to the heater and hoped the cold hadn’t already caused damage to his body. 

“Are you alright, Evfra? Your voice sounds weaker and your breathing is off.” She decided she needed to say something as she walked towards him and began to inspect his armor. Evfra tried to wave her away but she continued anyway. “Shit, when did your life support system get damaged?” 

He pulled his helmet off and let himself bask in the warmth. “In the avalanche. I’m fine though.” He always hated the thought of having someone worry about him. Sara took the tarp and wrapped it around Evfra’s shoulders. He mumbled a “thank you” to her and she smiled. Evfra immediately turned away. He wasn’t used to someone fussing over him, especially her. There was something about the human Pathfinder that always fascinated him. No matter what situation they were in, she never truly lost that good natured joviality. Although he’d brought her along out of a need to assess her skills for himself, he’d found himself growing surprisingly fond of her. He hated to admit it, but he was growing to trust her too. Granted, she had a tendency to joke around incessantly, but she was dependable and had given him a chance even when he hadn’t been so keen to give her one himself.

Sara removed her gloves and warmed her hands as close to the heater as she could get without burning herself. Evfra looked at her long slender fingers and felt his face growing warmer. He tried to fill his mind with other matters so he wouldn’t ponder what it would be like to feel her hands against his skin. Luckily Sara spoke again before his imagination was able to take things any further.

“You ever think about where the kett sleep?” Sara inquired with genuine curiosity. 

Evfra looked at her with disbelief. “No. I don’t.” He truly wondered sometimes just how her human mind worked. What even brought about such a thought?

‘No, I’m serious! How many of these bases have we taken down? Between my crew and all your resistance fighters and every single compound you’ve been to yourself, you ever notice that not one of them has a bed in it? I mean they must sleep right? But where? Just…on the ground? It can’t be comfortable especially since they’re so bony! I mean, I’ve seen those pods at the kett facility where we met the Cardinal, but I don’t see them anywhere else so I guess once they’re awake they just keep on going, huh?” Sara knew she was probably annoying him but she couldn’t help herself. 

“Do all humans talk this much or just you, Ryder?” Evfra asked indignantly. He hated to admit it though but Sara did have a point. “To answer your question though, no. I have not come across any type of kett beds. Or any sleeping kett for that matter.” 

“I wonder what they’d be like if they had a proper nap now and then…” she mused. Evfra couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not. 

“They were genetically altered so they would probably still be the same.” he shot back. “Maybe they’d have better aim though and we wouldn’t be stuck in the aftermath of an avalanche. That kett missed his mark by a long-shot”

Sara grinned at him. She couldn’t believe Evfra had actually humored her for once! She laughed and said in her most convincing voice, “You say ‘stuck’, I say enjoying a little rest and relaxation in rustic accommodations.” 

Evfra rolled his eyes but had a hard time not being amused by her. At the very least she had taken his mind off of just how painfully cold he’d become in such a short period of time. Luckily now his body was beginning to warm up and he felt his breathing go back to normal. He unwrapped himself from the tarp to give to Sara. “You can use this,” he offered.

“I think it’s big enough, we can share.” She said the words softly and in an instant she mildly regretted them. All Evfra had ever done was push her away. She didn’t know why she thought this time would be any different. To her surprise though, Evfra scooted closer to her and wrapped the tarp snugly around them both. Her heart began to race as they sat side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Since the moment she met Evfra she’d always been strangely attracted to him but she never even allowed herself to contemplate a scenario where he would actually warm up to her. He didn’t trust her, or her kind and he’d made that very apparent almost every time they’d met. Yet he’d brought her song for this mission and was constantly on guard making sure she was safe. She thought back to how he held her when the avalanche hit and she shivered remembered his strong arms holding her close. 

Evfra mistook her shiver as a sign that she was still cold and he wrapped them up tighter. Sara was now pressed against his shoulder and she rested her head against him. Evfra didn’t say a word, he just sat silently looking straight ahead. 

“Evfra?” Sara asked in a quiet voice.

“What is it?” He tried to soften his usual harsh tone as much as possible.

“Thank you, for saving me. You know you could have died back there, right? Your armor could have been damaged more, or you could have been crushed by the weight of the snow…” she trailed off. “I guess, just…thank you.” She hated how she stumbled over the words but once the realization hit that he had been willing in that moment to trade his life for hers, she found herself unable to properly express her gratitude. Perhaps, despite his gruff demeanor, he really did care for her.

“You would have done the same.” Evfra began, “Look Ryder, I still don’t trust your people, but I do trust you. You’ve earned that from me.” He wanted so badly to touch her. He wanted to hold her close to him and finally let his guard down for once. Since the death of his family, Evfra hadn’t allowed anyone to get close to him. He just hadn’t imagined the person who could do it would be this…alien. 

“Thank you, Evfra. That really means a lot to me.” She leaned against him and he couldn’t help himself any longer. He needed to touch her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him. She rested her head against his chest and she sighed happily. She let her body settle into his and she closed her eyes. Sara felt the exhaustion from the day’s events begin to settle in and she found herself drifting in and out of slumber. Evfra cradled her in his arms and allowed himself to savor the feeling of having her pressed against him.

Evfra held her until she was fast asleep. He ever so gently laid her down beside him. He made sure her head was cradled against his shoulder and he held her against himself. Evfra laid next to her and closed his eyes, lost in thought about what an odd turn their mission had taken. Just earlier in the day she was filling his head with random tidbits like how “Voeld” rhymes with “cold”. Now they were lying together under a tarp in an abandoned kett construct. He watched the rise and fall of her breathing and how serene she looked. He liked the way her hair draped across his shoulder. He took his hands out of his gloves and brushed his palm against her soft locks. 

Sara awoke as Evfra stroked her hair, and she was pleasantly surprised to find herself curled up with him. She rolled over onto her opposite side to face him and she looked up at him with lustful eyes. Evfra didn’t look away from her gaze and she figured this was her chance to make a move. She began to let her hands wander over his chest and up to his neck. Evfra inhaled sharply when her fingers reached the sensitive skin on his neck. Sara gave him a devilish smile before moving in so close she was nearly on top of him. She continued touching him and Evfra let his hands run up the length of her back. 

“Well well Evfra, you must be warming up to me.” she teased, letting her fingers stroke the back of his neck. 

“Shut up.” he hissed. He grabbed the base of her neck and pulled her face in close to his. “What do you want, Ryder.” his voice was a low growl. He wasn’t the type to enjoy playing coy. He wanted a resolute answer from her. He needed to know what it was she wanted from him in no uncertain terms.

Sara didn’t verbalize anything however, she just wrapped her arms around him tightly. She couldn’t help but find the scent of Angaran perfumes, mixed with his natural odor, completely intoxicating. She traced a single finger across the scar on his face and tugged on his armor to bring herself up to eye level with him. Evfra grew tired of waiting for an answer from her. He pressed her down on the floor and straddled her. He knew she was enjoying having the ability to frustrate him and he wanted to gain the upper hand. He leaned in close, stopping just before their lips could touch. 

“Damn you, Evra” she pushed the words out through pursed lips. She loved the feeling of his body on top of hers, pressing against her firmly.

He wondered if perhaps he had let things get too far. Evfra’s sense of propriety was creeping back in and he silently cursed himself. Since when did he think it was a good idea to let anything happen between himself and the Pathfinder anyway? They were there for a mission and the last thing they needed was this sort of thing to complicate matters. He couldn’t bring himself to move from his position though and he either had to do something now or put an abrupt end to things. He knew he should stop this before it got out of hand but the longer he stayed wrapped up with the human, the more he wanted her. The more he wanted her, the more frustrated he became for not being able to keep his emotions in check. He never thought he’d feel this way about an alien of all things. He wondered why she so obviously felt the same way about him, especially considering their track record of constant bickering. Evfra decided that none of that mattered, what mattered is that he needed to know what it felt like to kiss her; consequences be damned.

Evfra’s lips pressed against hers roughly. Sara was sure she’d felt her heart stop ever so briefly in that moment. She parted her lips allowing his tongue to enter her mouth. She loved the way he tasted, the way he kissed her hungrily. He wanted to devour every inch of her and she knew it. Her body ached for it. 

Evfra loved how soft she was and how willing her mouth was to accept his. The warmth of her lips was the only sensation he wanted to feel in that moment. He was glad he hadn’t let protocol stop him from sharing this moment with her. He was even more glad that he’d listened to his Angaran instincts to follow his emotions rather than his militaristic desire to suppress them. Still, he wasn’t used to being so openly affectionate and he found himself wondering how things would play out.

When they broke off the kiss Evfra looked at her with a cocky half-smile. It was the first time she’d even seen him with an expression other than his permanent disinterested scowl. He still couldn’t believe he’d just kissed he like that though. He threw off the tarp and stood up trying to regain his composure. He still wasn’t entirely convinced that it had been a good idea and he tried his best to not let things escalate. “We don’t know how long that generator will be able to power that heater. You should have SAM tell your crew where to find us.” He was back to his usual state of barking orders. He wondered if he’d temporarily lost his mind. He never would have thought that their mission would end up with him kissing her. 

Sara couldn’t wipe the grin off her face though. “I’ll tell them to come get us, if you promise me that won’t be the only time you kiss me like that.” 

“Get us out of here alive and I’ll think about it.” He responded letting his eyes linger over her. She was half covered with the tarp but he armor was partially undone and she looked so damn, inviting. It took all his willpower not to tear her clothes off right there.

“Hmm, that doesn’t sound like a promise to me, Evfra.” She stood up and walked towards him. Sara let her body touch his for a fleeting moment as she stood up on her toes and kissed him once again. “I’ll give SAM the navpoint for extraction.” She spoke to SAM and then turned back to Evfra. “Now how should we pass the time while we’re waiting for the Tempest.”

Sara barely got the words out before he had her pressed against the wall. Evfra kissed her passionately and she found herself hoping that her crew would take their time in rescuing them. She was willing to wait as long as it took if it meant being able to have him to herself a little while longer. Evfra was more than willing to oblige. Whatever it was between them, he figured was worth enjoying while it lasted; and she truly was the first thing he had enjoyed in a long time.


End file.
